Macbeth Essay (Ben Lee, P2 Asher)

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s innate character leads him to his own demise. However, the way in which he chooses to have his character manipulated is what accelerates him to his ultimate fate. Because Macbeth relies on three witches for the interpretation and foreknowledge of his fate, the reader can see the character that Macbeth truly plays – one that realizes fate yet interferes with the natural path of it by intervening himself. Because Macbeth does not know the actual track of how is fate will occur, his actions are tragically affected in such a way that brings about his own death. Shakespeare purposefully utilizes characterization in many different methods to reveal the process of Macbeth realizing his fate and instinctively acting to take control of it to drive the plot forward.

Macbeth is most visibly characterized through his words which reveal his inner thoughts and perceptions. They not only exemplify curiosity in dealing with his fate that was recited to him by the witches, but also a growing desire to be the absolute controller of his fate and become the King of Scotland at his time. With the knowledge of his prophecy and the assistance of his Lady Macbeth, Macbeth’s dialogue with his wife shows how his future actions and current thoughts are affected: “That is, if the deed were really done, if that were the end of it, the quicker it is done the better.”Shakespeare continuously shows the reader Macbeth’s true and rapidly developing character – a character whose actions are absolutely consumed by the obsession over the witches’ prophecies. Every moment that Macbeth exists to the reader’s eye, his every action seems to be revolving around the thoughts of first being King of Scotland, having his throne taken over by Malcom, and all of the events that the witches had told Macbeth. It is only through his perception of his fate that he kills King Duncan as well as Malcom and Banquo – without this kind of perception of fate that he had regarding his prophecy, Macbeth would have probably acted very differently.

Macbeth is also clearly characterized by the actual actions he commits which prove the control that his perception of his fate has on his whole being. His first action which becomes the catalyst to all proceeding actions is his decision to murder King Duncan. Upon receiving his prophecy, Macbeth was consumed by the obsessive idea that he would one day be king – thus, his instincts acted upon his actions and led him kill the king in order to bring about his supposed fate to become king. Once Macbeth is in this position, the perception of the fate that he had locks him into his actions that occur for the rest of the play. He indeed kills many more people, including Banquo and Macduff’s family. His actions thus show Macbeth’s terrifying character. It is one that has revolved around only a single prophecy.

Macbeth is revealed through his words and actions – in essence, his single experience with perceiving the first news of his fate that he would become the king of Scotland drives the whole play. Had he perceived his fate differently – perhaps in a skeptical matter – Macbeth’s actions would not have been so influenced by what he heard. The characterization of Macbeth that occurs all throughout the play show precisely the thoughts and effects that this perception had on him – ultimately, it led to his own death.